Free L. Frank Baum_Oz 14 by Glinda of Oz Page A

of
our difficulties."
    "I will try to do that," Ozma graciously assured them, "but you must
remember that the powers of fairies are granted them to bring comfort
and happiness to all who appeal to them. On the contrary, such magic as
Coo-ee-oh knew and practiced is unlawful witchcraft and her arts are
such as no fairy would condescend to use. However, it is sometimes
necessary to consider evil in order to accomplish good, and perhaps by
studying Coo-ee-oh's tools and charms of witchcraft I may be able to
save us. Do you promise to accept me as your Ruler and to obey my
commands?"
    They promised willingly.
    "Then," continued Ozma, "I will go to Coo-ee-oh's palace and take
possession of it. Perhaps what I find there will be of use to me. In
the meantime tell all the Skeezers to fear nothing, but have patience.
Let them return to their homes and perform their daily tasks as usual.
Coo-ee-oh's loss may not prove a misfortune, but rather a blessing."
    This speech cheered the Skeezers amazingly. Really, they had no one now
to depend upon but Ozma, and in spite of their dangerous position their
hearts were lightened by the transformation and absence of their cruel
Queen.
    They got out their brass band and a grand procession escorted Ozma and
Dorothy to the palace, where all of Coo-ee-oh's former servants were
eager to wait upon them. Ozma invited Lady Aurex to stay at the palace
also, for she knew all about the Skeezers and their island and had also
been a favorite of the former Queen, so her advice and information were
sure to prove valuable.
    Ozma was somewhat disappointed in what she found in the palace. One
room of Coo-ee-oh's private suite was entirely devoted to the practice
of witchcraft, and here were countless queer instruments and jars of
ointments and bottles of potions labeled with queer names, and strange
machines that Ozma could not guess the use of, and pickled toads and
snails and lizards, and a shelf of books that were written in blood,
but in a language which the Ruler of Oz did not know.
    "I do not see," said Ozma to Dorothy, who accompanied her in her
search, "how Coo-ee-oh knew the use of the magic tools she stole from
the three Adept Witches. Moreover, from all reports these Adepts
practiced only good witchcraft, such as would be helpful to their
people, while Coo-ee-oh performed only evil."
    "Perhaps she turned the good things to evil uses?" suggested Dorothy.
    "Yes, and with the knowledge she gained Coo-ee-oh doubtless invented
many evil things quite unknown to the good Adepts, who are now fishes,"
added Ozma. "It is unfortunate for us that the Queen kept her secrets
so closely guarded, for no one but herself could use any of these
strange things gathered in this room."
    "Couldn't we capture the Diamond Swan and make her tell the secrets?"
asked Dorothy.
    "No; even were we able to capture her, Coo-ee-oh now has forgotten all
the magic she ever knew. But until we ourselves escape from this dome
we could not capture the Swan, and were we to escape we would have no
use for Coo-ee-oh's magic."
    "That's a fact," admitted Dorothy. "But—say, Ozma, here's a good idea!
Couldn't we capture the three fishes—the gold and silver and bronze
ones, and couldn't you transform 'em back to their own shapes, and then
couldn't the three Adepts get us out of here?"
    "You are not very practical, Dorothy dear. It would be as hard for us
to capture the three fishes, from among all the other fishes in the
lake, as to capture the Swan."
    "But if we could, it would be more help to us," persisted the little
girl.
    "That is true," answered Ozma, smiling at her friend's eagerness. "You
find a way to catch the fish, and I'll promise when they are caught to
restore them to their proper forms."
    "I know you think I can't do it," replied Dorothy, "but I'm going to
try."
    She left the palace and went to a place where she could look through a
clear pane of the glass dome into the surrounding water. Immediately
she became interested in the